# Astianthus

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***Astianthus*** is a [monotypic](/source/Monotypic) [genus](/source/Genus) of [flowering plants](/source/Flowering_plant) in the [Bignoniaceae](/source/Bignoniaceae) family.[1] The sole species is ***Astianthus viminalis***.[2] It is known by the [common names](/source/Common_name) *achuchil* in [Mexico](/source/Mexico) and *chilca* in [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala) and [Honduras](/source/Honduras).[3]

*Astianthus* is native to [Mesoamerica](/source/Mesoamerica), from southern [Mexico](/source/Mexico) to [Nicaragua](/source/Nicaragua).[3] It is a shrub, or if larger, a tree of varying height, occurring mostly along [streambanks](/source/Bank_(geography)) from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in elevation.[3] Its leaves are unusually long and slender, resembling those of a [willow](/source/Willow), possibly because it is a [rheophyte](/source/Rheophyte).[citation needed]

## Description

The following [description](/source/Species_description) is excerpted from one that appeared in *[Flora Neotropica](/source/Flora_Neotropica)*.[3]

- Trees or shrubs, 2-20m tall.
- Leaves in [whorls](/source/Whorl_(botany)) of 3, [simple](/source/Simple_leaf), [linear](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#linear), 6–30 cm long and 0.3-1.4 cm wide; [midrib](/source/Glossary_of_plant_morphology#Leaves) prominent; [secondaries](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#secondary_vein) numerous, strongly ascending.
- [Inflorescences](/source/Inflorescence) [terminal](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#terminal), [paniculate](/source/Panicle), the lateral branches in whorls of 3.
- [Calyx](/source/Calyx_(botany)) [campanulate](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#campanulate), 5-[dentate](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#dentate), the teeth 1-3mm long.
- [Corolla](/source/Corolla_(flower)) [yellow](/source/Yellow), 4-5.5 cm long, tubular to [infundibuliform](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#infundibuliform), base of corolla narrowly tubular.
- [Stamens](/source/Stamen) [didynamous](/source/Glossary_of_plant_morphology).
- [Gynoecium](/source/Gynoecium) 2.5–3 cm long; the [ovary](/source/Ovary_(botany)) [glabrous](/source/Glabrousness_(botany)), its base surrounded by a [nectariferous](/source/Nectar) disk.
- Fruit [fusiform](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#fusiform), [terete](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#terete), glabrous, 3–8 cm long; the [septum](/source/Septum) perpendicular to a [false septum](/source/False_septum), the combined structure [cruciform](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#cruciform) in [cross section](/source/Cross_section_(geometry)).
- Seeds small, borne perpendicular to the septum and parallel to the false septum, the seed body sharply demarcated from the [wing](/source/Glossary_of_botanical_terms#W).

## Taxonomy

The genus *Astianthus* was erected by [David Don](/source/David_Don) in 1823, in the [*Edinburgh Philosophical Journal*](/source/Royal_Society_of_Edinburgh).[4] Don named its sole species *Astianthus longifolia*.[5] He was apparently unaware that [Karl Sigismund Kunth](/source/Karl_Sigismund_Kunth) had previously named this species *Bignonia viminalis* in 1819.[6] (The authority for this name is often cited as "[H](/source/Alexander_von_Humboldt)[B](/source/Aim%C3%A9_Bonpland)[K](/source/Karl_Sigismund_Kunth)" instead of "Kunth". It is not clear why [Alwyn Howard Gentry](/source/Alwyn_Howard_Gentry) gives the date of the name as 1819.)

[William Hemsley](/source/William_Hemsley_(botanist)) transferred this species to *[Tecoma](/source/Tecoma)* as *T. viminalis* in 1882, recognizing that the [specific epithet](/source/Specific_epithet_(botany)) of Kunth had priority over that of Don by the [rules of botanical nomenclature](/source/International_Code_of_Nomenclature_for_algae,_fungi,_and_plants).[7]

The name *Astianthus viminalis* is often accredited to [Henri Ernest Baillon](/source/Henri_Ernest_Baillon) in volume 10 of his *[Histoire des Plantes](/source/Histoire_des_Plantes)*, but the reason for the citation is not self-evident upon viewing page 44 of this work.[4][8]

Older [works](/source/Treatise) have usually placed *Astianthus* in the [tribe](/source/Tribe_(biology)) [Tecomeae](/source/Tecomeae), but the [circumscription](/source/Circumscription_(taxonomy)) of that tribe was greatly revised in 2009.[9] *Astianthus* is now usually placed in [Bignoniaceae](/source/Bignoniaceae) [incertae sedis](/source/Incertae_sedis). Alwyn Howard Gentry called *Astianthus* "a very isolated genus with no obvious affinities" and further wrote that "the superficial resemblance to *[Chilopsis](/source/Chilopsis)* is apparently due to [parallel evolution](/source/Parallel_evolution) for the same type of [riparian site](/source/Riparian_zone)".

*Astianthus* has not yet been sampled for [DNA](/source/DNA) in a [molecular phylogenetic](/source/Molecular_phylogenetic) study.

## Uses

Where *Astianthus* approaches its largest size, useful lumber can be produced from it, but it is rarely harvested by lumberjacks.[10]

[Medicinal value](/source/Herbal_medicine) has been alleged for *Astianthus*, but no verifiable evidence of [efficacy](/source/Efficacy) has been observed. Isolated compounds and crude extracts from *Astianthus* have failed to show any [antimicrobial](/source/Antimicrobial) activity. They also showed no [cytotoxicity](/source/Cytotoxicity) for [tumor](/source/Tumor) cells.[11]

## Phytochemistry

The [pentacyclic](/source/Polycyclic_compound) [triterpenoids](/source/Triterpenoid) [ursolic acid](/source/Ursolic_acid) and [oleanolic acid](/source/Oleanolic_acid) have been extracted from *Astianthus*. So have [cinnamic acid](/source/Cinnamic_acid), p-[methoxycinnamic acid](/source/Methoxycinnamic_acid), and [stigmasterol](/source/Stigmasterol).

A [chloroform](/source/Chloroform)-[ethanol](/source/Ethanol) gradient [elution](/source/Elution) [High-performance liquid chromatography](/source/High-performance_liquid_chromatography) system was used to extract the [iridoid](/source/Iridoid) [glycosides](/source/Glycoside) [campenoside](/source/Campenoside) and 5-[hydroxycampenoside](/source/Hydroxycampenoside).[11]

## Bibliography

- Paul C. Standley and Louis O. Williams. 1974. Flora of Guatemala; Fieldiana 24:volume X part 3.

## References

1. Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and Joachim W. Kadereit (volume editor). *The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants* volume VII. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN 978-3-540-40593-1

1. David J. Mabberley. 2008. *Mabberley's Plant-Book* third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. ISBN 978-0-521-82071-4

1. Alwyn H. Gentry. 1992. "Bignoniaceae: Part II (Tribe Tecomeae)". *Flora Neotropica* Monograph **25**(part 2):1-373.

1. *Astianthus* in [International Plant Names Index](/source/International_Plant_Names_Index). (see *External links* below).

1. David Don. 1823. "Description of five new genera of plants, [Chilopsis, Astianthus, Delostoma, Stenolobium, Jacaranda], belonging to the natural order Bignoniaceae". *Edinburgh Philosophical Journal* 9:262.

1. Karl Sigismund Kunth. 1818. *Bignonia viminalis* page 132. In: "Bignoniaceae" pages 132-159. In: *Nova genera et species plantarum :quas in peregrinatione ad plagam aequinoctialem orbis novi collegerunt /descripserunt, partim adumbraverunt Amat. Bonpland et Alex. de Humboldt ; ex schedis autographis Amati Bonplandi in ordinem digessit Carol. Sigismund. Kunth ...* volume 3. (See *External links* below).

1. William B. Hemsley. 1882. [Biologia Centrali-Americana](/source/Biologia_Centrali-Americana); or, Contributions to the Knowledge of the Fauna and Flora of Mexico and Central America. edited by Frederick Ducane Godman and Osbert Slavin. Botany. volume 2, page 497. published by R.H. Porter. London. (See *External links* below).

1. Henri Ernest Baillon. 1888. Histoire des Plantes 10:44. (See *External links* below).

1. Richard G. Olmstead, Michelle L. Zjhra, Lúcia G. Lohmann, Susan O. Grose, and Andrew J. Eckert. 2009. "A molecular phylogeny and classification of Bignoniaceae". *American Journal of Botany* **96**(9):1731-1743. [doi:10.3732/ajb.0900004](https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.0900004)

1. Samuel J. Record and Robert W. Hess. 1940. "American timbers of the family Bignoniaceae". *Tropical Woods* **63**:9-38.

1. Laura Alvarez, Margarita Núnez, Ma. del Carmen Pérez, Maria Luisa Villareal, and Guillermo Delgado. 1994. "Chemical and Biological Study of *Astianthus viminalis*". *Planta Medica* 60(1):98.

## External links

- [*Astianthus*](http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advPlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=97E6EE18A0EAF1FCC44EDF1D09C9D882?find_family=&find_genus=Astianthus+&find_species=&find_infrafamily=&find_infragenus=&find_infraspecies=&find_authorAbbrev=&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_publicationTitle=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_isAPNIRecord=false&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_isGCIRecord=false&find_isIKRecord=on&find_isIKRecord=false&find_rankToReturn=all&output_format=normal&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearch) At: [Plant Names](http://www.ipni.org/ipni/plantnamesearchpage.do) At: [IPNI](http://www.ipni.org/)
- [page 178](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2463346) In:
- [*Bignonia*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5615) In: [volume 3](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/5480) Of: [Nova genera et species plantarum](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/640#/summary) At: [N](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/browse/titles/n#/titles) At: [Titles](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/browse/titles/a#/titles) At: [Biodiversity Heritage Library](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/)
- [electronic BIOLOGIA CENTRALI-AMERICANA](http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/bca/)
- [page 497](http://www.botanicus.org/page/598249) In: [Botany, volume 2](http://www.botanicus.org/page/597750) At: [About this title](http://www.botanicus.org/bibliography/bca_00_00_0) At: [Biologia Centrali-Americana](http://www.botanicus.org/title/BCA_00_00_0) At: [B](http://www.botanicus.org/browse/titles/B) At: [Titles](http://www.botanicus.org/browse/titles) At: [Botanicus.org](http://www.botanicus.org/)
- [*Astianth* (sic) page 44](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28547295) In: [volume 10](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28547251) Of: [*Histoire des Plantes*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/40796#/summary)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Astianthus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astianthus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astianthus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.